Dragon fruit

Dragon fruit: plant 200 cm (79 in) apart in the row and 300 cm (118 in) between rows, 1 plant per 44 squares. Good neighbours: Marigold, Basil, Lemongrass.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	200 cm (79 in)
Between rows	300 cm (118 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 plant per 44 squares
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	25 cm (10 in)
Height when grown	200 cm (79 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	Climbs: give it a trellis or teepee

Planting

How it is started	From cuttings, from a bought plant
Cuttings per planting hole	1
When to plant	Outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 18 °C

Care

Takes transplanting	Only with care, keep the root ball
Hardening off	10–14 days
Life cycle	Tender perennial, grown as an annual where it freezes
Cold tolerance	Tender, hurt by frost
Soil	Light, sandy, free draining, pH 6–7.5
In a pot	40 L, 40 cm (15.7 in)
Watering	Water when the pot feels light; at flowering, while fruit sets
Feeding	Moderate; in spring, while growing
Support and training	Wires or a frame; tie in as it grows, prune

Harvest and planning

Days to first harvest	1–2 years, from planting
Ready when	The fruit has its full colour
Harvest window	Picked again and again, 8–16 weeks
Typical yield	3–10 kg per plant
Botanical family	Cactaceae
Watch out for	Root rot in wet soil, scale insects
First crop after	1–2 years
Pollination	Needs another variety nearby

Good neighbours

◐ good with a condition · Why, with the sources →

Plan Dragon fruit in your garden

Open the free planner, drop Dragon fruit onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Start Planning Your Garden

Sowing and harvest

Plant out	May–Jun
Harvest	Aug–Nov

My dates for this crop

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

What to plant next to Dragon fruit →

Grown much the same way

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.

Sources

The values on this page marked as checked come from these sources: spacing, sowing depth, germination, soil, timing and safety notes, each against the source named here.

Pitaya (Dragonfruit) Growing in the Florida Home Landscape (HS1068) — University of Florida IFAS Extension for: scientific name; checked 2026-10-31

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